Device for shearing sheep



PATENT Erice'.

A. J. FULLAM, 0F SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT.

DEVICE FOR SHEARING SHEEP.

Tou/.ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, A. J. FULLAM, of Springfield, in the county of Windsor and State of Vermont, have invented a new and Improved Device for Shearing Sheep; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a plan or top view of my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention consists in combining exible tubes with a steam-engine and a cutting device in such a manner that a portable and efficient device will be obtained for shearing sheep, one which may be manipulated with the gieatestfacility and perform its work in a perfect manner, and admit of the operator handling the animal so as to properly apply the shearing device to it without any inconvenience or difficulty whatever.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents what may be termed the handle of the device, the same being ot' metalat least that will probably be the material most generally used. At the front end of this handle A there is a block, B, containing a steam-chamber provided with a piston, a steam-chest, G, being on the upper part of the block B. This steain'chest is provided with the usual slide-valve rod, D, of which is connected at its outer e'nd to one end of a vlever, E, having its fulcrum at a., the opposite end of said lever being connected to a lever, F,l

one end of which is attached by a link, b, to a cutter-bar, G, and the opposite end connected with the outer end of the piston-rod H. The lever F has itsfulcrum c at the outer end of a bar, I, which is lit-ted loosely on an upright, d, and the lever E is connected to F bymeans of a link, (LX, the lever E having a curved slot, bx, made init, through which a pin, 0X,

in the link c* passes. By this means the piston is allowed the requisite play, and the slidevalve properly operated.

The above-described parts comprise a steamengine, together with the means for applying a reciprocating motion to the cutterbar G. The steam-en gine, in itself considered, possesses no novel features. All the parts may be constructed and arranged in the usual way.

J is the steam-induction pipe, which communicates with the steam-chest C. This pipe J is flexible, and may be constructed of indiarubber or other suitable flexible material. K is the exhaust or steam-eduction pipe, which is also constructed of a liexible material like J. The flexibility of these pipes is an essential feature of the invention, as they admit of the perfect handling or manipulation of the device, so that the same may be applied to the. sheep and made to perform its work in a perfect manner.

The cutting or shearing device is composed of the bar G, previously alluded to, which is provided with taper or V-shaped cutters e, like those of a harvestingmachine, and these cutters work over stationary cutters f, of a similar form, which are attached to a plate, L, the latter being at the front end of an inclined plate, M, which is bolted to an inclined projection, N, at the lower end of the front part of the block B. By this arrangement the cutting device is some distance below the handle A and abundant space allowed for the operator to grasp the handle and manipulate the device in shearing sheep.

The steam lby which the engine is driven may be generated in a small boiler, alcohol or coal-oil being used as a fuel, and the boiler placed on any suitable xture convenient to the operator.

I do not claim as new any ot' the parts pertaining to the steam-engine, nor do I claim separately the cutting device; but

I do claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, as an improved article of manufacture- A sheep-shearin g device, composed of a cutting apparatus, combined with. a steam-engine provided with flexible induction and @duction pipes, substantially as herein ih )wn and de scribed.

A. J. FLLAM.

Witnesses:

HENRY BARNARD, GEO. W. PORTER. 

